London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, May 09, 2025

Scotland's papers: History made as Yousaf takes over 'divided' SNP

Scotland's papers: History made as Yousaf takes over 'divided' SNP

The election of Humza Yousaf as Nicola Sturgeon's successor dominates Scotland's front pages.

The election of Humza Yousaf as SNP leader, and likely first minister, has been hailed as a "historic day for Scotland" by the Daily Record. The health secretary is set to become "the first person of colour, first Muslim, first person in their 30s and first son of immigrants" to lead the country, the paper notes.



The National also describes the election of Humza Yousaf as historic. It shows an image of his emotional parents, Muzaffar Yousaf and Shaaista Bhutta, as their son was announced as the contest winner at a press conference at Murrayfield in Edinburgh. Mr Yousaf is expected to be voted in as first minister at Holyrood on Tuesday.



Mr Yousaf's victory followed a "bitter battle" among the SNP candidates, The Herald writes. Political editor Tom Gordon describes the result as a "slow puncture" for the party, as opposed to a potential "car crash" had Finance Secretary Kate Forbes won. He says that outcome would have been a "shock to the party hierarchy". Ms Forbes narrowly lost out by just over 2,000 of the 50,490 votes.



Mr Yousaf said he felt like the "luckiest man in the world" following his election, but The Scotsman warns he faces an "uphill battle to unite a divided party". The paper says he will be voted in as first minister with the support of the Scottish Greens, who are in government with the SNP.



The Scottish Sun focuses on the "knife-edge race" between Mr Yousaf and Ms Forbes. The health secretary won with 52% of the votes when second preference votes from former minister Ash Regan - who was eliminated after finishing third - were redistributed. Ms Forbes received 48%.



Mr Yousaf won out in a "tense" event at Murrayfield, the Daily Star of Scotland reports. It also describes the result as a "historic first".



Mr Yousaf, who is set to become the country's youngest first minister at the age of 37, has vowed to "dedicate every waking moment" to serving the people of Scotland, Metro writes.



The new SNP leader is criticised by the Scottish Daily Mail for telling reporters that he will immediately push for an independence referendum after being named first minister. Mr Yousaf has said his government will continue to call for a Section 30 order from Westminster to gain the necessary powers to stage a legally binding referendum.



The Scottish Conservatives claim Mr Yousaf's comments show the SNP is ignoring the "real priorities" of Scots to "obsess over independence", the Scottish Daily Express reports.



Mr Yousaf is also set to clash with Westminster over the Scottish government's reforms to gender identification laws, the i reports. Mr Yousaf has said he could challenge the UK government after it blocked the legislation under what is known as a Section 35 order.



The Telegraph predicts the Scottish government is on a "collision course" with Westminster after Mr Yousaf vowed to put the push for independence into "fifth gear". The paper also says the SNP leadership contest "laid bare the huge divisions" in the party.


The imminent departure of Nicola Sturgeon will spark a "concerted campaign" by Labour to win over SNP voters, The Times reports. It says opponents will aim to capitalise on Mr Yousaf's "unpopularity" after he was backed as first choice by 34% of SNP members.


The Courier also leads with Mr Yousaf's feeling that he is the "luckiest man in the world" following his "narrow win" against Ms Forbes.


Mr Yousaf has promised "no empty soundbites or easy answers" as he aims to tackle a range of issues facing Scotland, the Edinburgh Evening News reports.



The Glasgow Times leads with Mr Yousaf's pledge to be a "first minister for all of Scotland". The Glasgow Pollok MSP has been told by poverty campaigners that creating a fairer society must be his top priority, the paper reports.



As well as the SNP leadership election, the Press and Journal leads with a report on concerns over the future of the North Sea energy industry. A combination of windfall taxes, inflation and political "uncertainty" are threatening billions of pounds worth of investment, the paper reports.



A teenager is facing an attempted murder charge after a 30-year-old man was stabbed multiple times in Aberdeen on Saturday night, the Evening Express reports.



A pack of wolves have been put down at a Scottish wildlife park, the Evening Telegraph says. The animals were euthanised following "complications" during an operation on the alpha male wolf. His death sparked "anxious and abnormal" behaviour in four other wolves, Camperdown Wildlife Centre said, leading to them also being put down.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome
Huge Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery in Argentina and Chile — But the Profits Go Abroad
Prince Harry is pleading for reconciliation — but the royals are just as sick of his victimhood as everyone else
The Road to Freedom: She Protested Putin, Escaped House Arrest, and Survived a 2,800-Kilometer Journey
OpenAI's Flip-Flop: No Longer Going Commercial, Back to Nonprofit, After Musk Lawsuit and Backlash
“Trump Supporter” Aims to Bring a MAGA-Style Shift to Romania
First From China: Zhao Xintong Wins the Snooker World Championship
Nvidia Faces Billion-Dollar Losses – Warns: China Is on Its Way to Becoming an AI Superpower
Trump Rules Out Third Term, Names JD Vance and Marco Rubio as Potential Successors
Mexico Says ‘No’ to U.S. Troops: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Offer to Fight Cartels
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Storms the Map, Wrecking the Two-Party Monopoly
DOGE: Reimagining Government Operations with AI
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
Beijing Says U.S. Is ‘Reaching Out’ for Tariff Talks Amid Soaring Trade Tensions
U.K. Court Rejects Prince Harry’s Final Appeal Over Police Security
Prince Harry’s Heartfelt Outburst Rocks the Royal Family
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Transgender Swimmer Secures Five Gold Medals at U.S. Masters Championship
Prince Harry: “I Want Reconciliation with My Family”
Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has now been officially labeled “right-wing extremist” by the federal office for the so-called “protection of the constitution.”
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Transformative Changes in Women's Wrestling: The Rise of WWE Superstars
The Rush to the White Gold: Global Investment Surge in Natural Hydrogen Exploration
This is a day in Spain without electricity and internet
Reform UK Surprises in British Elections, Challenging Traditional Two-Party System
180-Year-Old Christian University in South Carolina Announces Closure Due to Unmet $6 Million Fundraising Goal
Brazilian Woman Jailed for Fourteen Years for Writing “You Lost, Idiot” on Statue During Protest
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
Dutch Politician Eva Vlaardingerbroek Receives Spyware Threat Alert from Apple
Paramount Board Considers Settlement in Trump’s $20 Billion Lawsuit Over "60 Minutes" Interview
U.S. Economy Shrink in Trump’s First Quarter as Tariff Policy Raises Questions
Deadline Looms for RTS Meter Replacement: Hundreds of Thousands at Risk of Heating Disruption
Sweden Grapples with Deadly Gun Violence: Suspect Arrested After Three Young Men Killed in Uppsala Hair Salon
Walz Reveals Why Harris Chose Him as Her Running Mate and Reflects on Democratic Losses
Spain Restores Power After Unprecedented Nationwide Blackout
Carney Secures Liberal Mandate in Canada’s Federal Election
Death Penalty Sought as Luigi Manion Pleads Not Guilty in CEO Murder Case
President Trump contacts Jeff Bezos after reports of Amazon considering listing tariff surcharges; company clarifies no such plan for main platform
Spain and Portugal Recover from Massive Blackout
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Singapore Politicians Warn Against Foreign Interference in Election
Driver Ploughs into Vancouver Festival Crowd, Killing Nine
Depression, Fear of Defamation, and a Tragic End: New Details on Virginia Giuffre’s Suicide
“Sharia for UK, Allah Akbar!”
Massive Explosion at Iran's Bandar Abbas Port Linked to Suspicious Chemical Shipments
Incident Reflection: A Harsh Reality Check
Pakistani migrants to Danish man: “ “We have 5 children while you have 1 or 2. In 10 years, there will be more Pakistanis than Danes here.“
Clashes Erupt in London as Tensions Rise Between Indian and Pakistani Communities
Specialized anti-drone weapons deployed among security personnel Ahead of Papal Funeral
How do you fix this culture?
×